The Good Listening To Show: Stories of Distinction & Genius

Founder Story: Humanising AI & Automation and Breaking Through the Technology Overwhelm Barrier with Mike Garde, MD of MG Performance Coaching, on a Mission to Democratise AI & Reduce Anxiety for Small Businesses

• Chris Grimes - Facilitator. Coach. Motivational Comedian

Share episode

Send us a text

Remember when Technology felt like it was meant to make our lives easier? For many Small Business owners today, AI and Automation have become sources of anxiety rather than solutions. Enter Mike Garde, who's on a personal mission to change that narrative.

Mike isn't your typical Tech Consultant. With 30 years of Software Engineering experience, he could easily overwhelm you with jargon – but that's precisely what he refuses to do. "I want to democratize AI and automation for small businesses," he shares, explaining how larger Companies have already harnessed these tools while smaller operations remain paralized by complexity.

During our conversation, Mike reveals the fascinating personal journey that shaped his approach. Growing up with a mother who battled anxiety and introduced him to positive thinking, and witnessing his father's extraordinary resilience during family tragedy, Mike developed a philosophy of continuously expanding beyond comfortable boundaries. "I've just been doing it so many times now. It's just a natural thing to progress, to push outside the boundaries I may feel confined in at any particular time," he reflects.

What truly sets Mike apart is his integration of the "Three Principles" coaching philosophy with practical tech implementation. He sees our perception of technology as fundamentally shaped by our thoughts: "If we're in a good mood, the world looks a better place generally, and same as if we're looking at things with fear, as in AI or anything, the world looks like a more fearful place." This perspective allows him to guide business owners through their tech anxiety toward practical solutions.

The highlight of our conversation comes when Mike demonstrates AI in real-time, conducting a conversation with ChatGPT that showcases both the capabilities and limitations of current technology. It's a perfect illustration of his hands-on approach to demystifying these tools.

Whether you're a tech enthusiast or someone who breaks into a cold sweat at the mention of artificial intelligence, Mike's insights offer a refreshingly human perspective on our digital future. Connect with him at www.mgperformancecoaching.com to discover how AI can work for your business without the headaches.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!

Speaker 2:

Welcome to another episode of the Good Listening To Show your life and times with me, chris Grimes, the storytelling show that features the Clearing, where all good questions come to get asked and all good stories come to be told, and where all my guests have two things in common they're all creative individuals and all with an interesting story to tell. There are some lovely storytelling metaphors a clearing, a tree, a juicy storytelling exercise called 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, some alchemy, some gold, a cheeky bit of Shakespeare and a cake. So it's all to play for. So, yes, welcome to the Good Listening To Show your life and times with me, chris Grimes, are you sitting comfortably? Then we shall begin. Boom, get in and we're in. Welcome to the World Wide Web and, yes, we're on all social media platforms, but most importantly LinkedIn.

Speaker 2:

I'm Chris Grimes, broadcaster, facilitator, motivational comedian, and welcome to another very exciting episode of the Good Listening To Show Stories of Distinction and Genius. And today is a founder story episode where I'm thrilled and delighted to welcome Mike Gard on guard, because he's here on guard to help us with all things. Ai and automation to make it all more human is the main cut and thrust of what we're up to. I'll contextualize a bit more about what you're about to listen to in a second. But first of all, welcome to the show, mike Gard.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, thanks, chris, lovely to be here. Appreciate you having me on.

Speaker 2:

You're welcome. That was the sound of one man clapping. You're very welcome, no extra charge. So you're from MG Consulting, which sounds like you've got a classic car side hustle, but I know you haven't, as you're all about AI and automation. First of all, obviously, we need to confirm that you're not a chatbot. So, yes, you're smiling.

Speaker 1:

I can confirm that yeah you can.

Speaker 2:

And yes, and we were just having a nice comic exchange about which background to go for. Mike's gone for the digital nomad swanky background, but he's got somebody nice. Well, there's a screen of some brickwork which we had a yin-yang choice, but we've gone for the swanky digital nomad palace.

Speaker 1:

Lovely, so my hand kind of disappears at different points. There we go, wonderful there we go wonderful.

Speaker 2:

If you're a business owner, overwhelmed by the pace of tech, but curious that's the really important thing about ai and what it can do for your business then you've come to the right place. So if people don't have a frame of reference for you mike guard, I met you through linkedin and you know that clunky networking question we've all got to field it. If somebody doesn't have a frame of reference and says, oh hello, what do you do? What's your favorite way of either escaping or answering that question, mike?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I just make. I want to democratize AI and automation for small businesses because I'm finding the big businesses they've been in the game for a while now and they've you know, they've got the money to throw at these things. Small medium businesses I think they're a bit overwhelmed with it all, as in with business itself, because so many things they have to deal with day to day, and AI is just another one of those things. But I want to show them how it can basically shortcut a lot of the things they do already and give them a lot more value so they can concentrate on the things that they enjoy in the business rather than the mundane things that AI and automation could take care of.

Speaker 2:

And, if I may, I am completely and utterly thank you very much. Your target market you're completely talking to me there and I'm sure that's resonating with an awful lot of other SMEs or SMEs Because of my acting background I can't resist saying SME, which is Peter Pan, Thank you very much. I've never played Peter Pan or SME, but SME's coming, I'm sure. Peter Pan, or SME but SME's coming, I'm sure yes. So it's all about helping small businesses with the overwhelm. So without the overwhelm is one of your straplines as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, definitely I think so many people I'm still seeing now, even though AI, chat, GPT, things like that have been out for a few years still seeing people that haven't really used it hardly at all, especially in business.

Speaker 2:

You're talking to me again.

Speaker 1:

I think there's a lot of wariness still around it, especially in a business context. You know they might have played with it a little bit personally, but they're a bit worried about using it in business and how to use it effectively, I think.

Speaker 1:

And I described you as being a chat GPT whisperer or a chat GPT trainer is the more sort of official title which makes it a bit like a lion, tamer but different. Yeah, I'd say AI in general. I mean, ai is a very broad term that covers loads of things like Netflix recommendations and things like that. But if we're talking about in the chatbot world, like I say, they're called large language models. So those are the things I train on and cover Things like chat, gpt. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Wonderful, yeah, so those are the things I train on and cover things like chat, gpt. Yeah, wonderful. It's my great delight to welcome you to this show where I'm going to curate you through a clearing which is your serious happy place. There's going to be a tree, a lovely juicy storytelling exercise called five, four, three, two, one. There's going to be some alchemy, some gold, a couple of random squirrels, a cheeky bit of shakespeare, a golden baton and a cake. So it's all to play for. And we were riffing on whether you might even use a little bit of ai whilst we're talking, and I didn't know whether you'd thought about whether you're going to do that or not, because one of the times we first spoke, you had your hand, your phone, in your hand, and it was talking to us yeah sure, I'm happy to ad lib with that, not really put any thought into it.

Speaker 1:

But we'll just see what comes up. I'm happy to just riff wonderful use it.

Speaker 2:

And now you're speaking my language, because I love comedy, improvisation and the mindset of yes and yes and yes and just improvise and riff with it is exactly what this show is about. Wonderful. So any questions before I begin to curate you through the journey and at the very end sorry I didn't give you the chance to say no questions or some questions, but at the very end there's a very exciting section called show us your qr code, please, where we're going to be able to point people specifically to where we can come and find you to work with you within mg consulting, which is actually called mg performance coaching. Okay, so let's get you on the open road. Mike guard ai, an automation consultant for smees. Where is what is a clearing or serious happy place for you? Where do you go to get clutter-free, inspirational and able to think?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I haven't been to this place for quite a while, or these places, I think, top of a hill or a mountain, just like that perspective puts life into perspective. I think, especially if you're feeling a little bit overwhelmed or anything like that, it's good to sort of see how small you are in the scheme of things.

Speaker 2:

And in order to use that, what three words? And pin the flag in the sand. Would you like to pick a hill or mountain scape of choice, and then I'll arrive with a tree in it.

Speaker 1:

Sure, let's go for Snowdonia. And when were you last in Snowdonia? Oh, years ago. But there's a nice thought, a nice association with it lovely.

Speaker 2:

So thank you. You're the first guest in circa 260 odd episodes who said snowdonia, so bless you for that. What I love about this construct is everybody interprets this differently. So here we are in snowdonia. I'm now going to arrive with a tree in your clearing. The invitation is to go where you like, how you like, when you like, as deep as you like into this construct.

Speaker 2:

Obviously, this is a founder story, so we very, very much want to amplify all things MG Performance Coaching. But this is also finding out the story behind the story of Mike Gard and what you're here to help us all with. So I'm going to arrive now with a tree in Snowdonia and I'm going to shake your tree to see which storytelling apples fall out. How do you like these apples? A couple of comedy props coming out come in at various points, and this is where you've been kind enough to have thought about four things that have shaped you, three things that inspire you, two things that never fail to grab your attention and I'll explain where squirrels come in in that section. And then the one is a quirky or unusual fact about you, mike. We couldn't possibly know about you until you tell us.

Speaker 1:

It's not a memory test which is reassuring for you, I'm sure, and I'll curate you through it. So over to you to interpret the shaking of the canopy of your tree as you see fit. Yeah, I think four things that have shaped me Well, number one being my parents. I guess that's true for most people. I think my mum was a very shy person, but very worrisome as well. She used to worry a lot, very worrisome as well. She used to worry a lot, and um, but I remember she had this book, the power of positive thinking, absolutely years old.

Speaker 1:

You have to be ancient like me to probably have heard of that, but um, I remember I was a very shy, shy boy as well, and reading that kind of helped me get out of my comfort zone at the time. So I thought, okay, there's more I can do, there's, you know, there's ways I can change myself. And I think that's just been an evolving story over time, as then, really embracing that, getting out my comfort zone, seeing there's always space to, I don't know to fill into, as in um, things I've maybe couldn't conceive I could achieve a couple of years ago are now happening because you're putting things in motion. So that would be from my mum, from my dad. I mean, he just had an amazing work ethic and I really admire him and my mum passed away in 2011. And watching how my dad sort of dealt with that because it was a protracted, she had an operation that went wrong. Basically, it was a protracted hospital visit that we had to go to. It was in Australia. I had to sort of fly out there.

Speaker 2:

They'd emigrated, had they?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I mean, that's a whole other story. Yeah, we emigrated. I was brought up out there, came back over here when I was about 10. I've been here pretty much ever since but they've, uh, they've been out there my brother etc. But just watching him sort of go down those hospital corridors every day and the love and the compassion and just the pain he went through, I really looked up at him as my hero during that time.

Speaker 2:

You know, you know the way he handled all that and he's still with us by the sound of how you're describing him he is, he's 89.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, he's uh. Or sorry, but turned 89 in a few weeks time, yeah such a beautiful description of your mum.

Speaker 2:

Very poignant to say that she was shy and worrisome yeah, oh yeah.

Speaker 1:

I think the trouble is, as a kid you imbue, I think a lot of those things. If you, if you're looking at a parent that's worried, you kind of think, oh shit, there must be something to worry about.

Speaker 3:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

And I think I took that on board back then. But yeah, I couldn't be more different now. But I think my mum I don't know she had a lot of belief in me and she nurtured me in such a way that I feel like you know, I do believe totally in myself and what's possible.

Speaker 2:

And the power of positive thinking with how you're helping people now getting through their fear bubble of don't be scared of this stuff. There is a way to whisper it, and so that's what's helpful about ironically coming full circle, what you're doing now.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I would say the power of positive thinking is not something I really ascribe to anymore. It's not that. No, I'm very positive about doing things, but I just don't think that's the way to do it as such. Yes, but back then it was useful.

Speaker 2:

I don't just mean cheesy optimism, just say yes to everything, because you've got to be very discerning about what we also say no to as well. But I think there's a lovely root there in being positive and affirmative about it. It's the action towards. It's going to change stuff.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think we see life through a lens and if you're wearing glasses, I wear glasses to read, and whatever glasses we're looking through at that particular time. If we're in a good mood, the world looks a better place generally, and same as if we're looking at things with fear, as in AI or anything, the world looks like a more fearful place.

Speaker 1:

You know we've got our fearful glasses on and I think I generally, you know we all fall into those traps. All of us do, because we're all human. But I think the more you can see it's just composed of your thinking and your perception at that particular time the more you can kind of step out of that and and see the world in different ways and, if I may ask, this is a an extra question have you told your dad that he's your hero?

Speaker 1:

I did, yeah, yeah, I think I pretty much did that during the funeral ceremony for my mom.

Speaker 2:

To be honest, yeah, yeah well, it's just suddenly lingering on. That is at the very end. I'll be describing to the audience, those that are watching, a construct called legacy life reflections, which is where I interviewed my own dad. He's no longer with us, but I got him in the house in days of his 80s and he was, you know, a hero of mine too. Yeah, lovely. So a shapeage number one is your wonderful conditioning of the yin-yang of your parents. Then now, shapeage number two, please.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I mean it's very related. It's just pushing myself out of my comfort zone. It's been, I think, since my teenage years, something I've done perpetually my whole life, and it sounds kind of weird. I guess it's almost not that uncomfortable getting out of my comfort zone.

Speaker 2:

Nicely put.

Speaker 1:

But I think I've just been doing it so many times now. It's just still a natural thing to progress, to push outside the boundaries I may feel confined in any particular time.

Speaker 2:

I've heard that described as get comfortable with being uncomfortable and then that's how your comfort risk panic, sort of three concentric circles. Universe expands.

Speaker 1:

I think that's a really great way to put it. Yeah, I love that.

Speaker 2:

You're welcome.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to note that one down. Please do but yeah, I think that's just a way again of taking on whatever the world may throw at you and also whatever you aspire to. Yes, I mean, nothing comes. I don't think anything comes on a plate.

Speaker 2:

You've got to push yourself towards it and expand into that role yes, and someone very wise who's out there called dave stewart taught me the idea that when life throws you curveballs, it's just a plot twist, it's not over till it's over. Plot twist it's just a plot twist that our story is not over until it's over. Plot twist it's just a plot twist. Our story is not over until it's over.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and we're all made up of our experiences, right. And all the things that have gone beforehand, whether they've been life lessons, as in, things that may not have gone according to your plans, but it's taken us to where we are right now.

Speaker 2:

And you may be getting onto this, but are you a parent yourself as well? You know what that's. Number three yeah, come in. Number three, please. I've got a bell cashier. Number three, please, this is shapeage number three.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so being a parent and grandparent, so both of those things, I think being a parent, I look back now I was very busy up here in my head work and trying to raise a family, and I think you know I was probably a little bit more impatient than I'd like looking back now because it all feels hard back then. What felt to me that it was hard back then, you know, trying to get everything working at the same time and, you know, raise a family, et cetera. So now I'm trying to make the time with my grandkids more that more important, that more that bit more special, really being in the moment with them, throwing myself into them a lot more, um, just being silly, playing with them and just enjoying life with them really, and it's, it's just such a lovely feeling when they turn up and they're, you know, they're so pleased to see you.

Speaker 2:

It's a beautiful thing it's either get grandkids or a dog, because the dog is the thing that's always going to be pleased to see you, whatever life throws at you I've got a cat.

Speaker 1:

Doesn't work quite the same way.

Speaker 2:

No cats don't give a shit and I love the carpe diem of now being willing to get down on the carpet and play with the grandkids. How old are your grandchildren?

Speaker 1:

Okay, well, I've got a bit of a story there. I mean we've got six grandkids seven from the way, but we did have eight we lost. So my wife and I didn't have kids together. We've come together with two separate families. So my wife's daughter, her son, passed when he was 13. That was in 2021. So we lost that grandson Callum. He was yeah, that was quite the blow and obviously still affects the family very much now.

Speaker 2:

Of course.

Speaker 1:

But his brother, his younger brother brother he's now 13 as well got his towers over me already, which is quite scary, and we, yeah, so we've gotten from 13 down to two and, like, say, another one on the way, so yeah, thank you for sharing that as well and I'm sorry for the loss for the family, which is obviously, yeah. Yeah, I mean again, all these things shape us, don't they? And yes have a massive impact on on our lives and how we see the world.

Speaker 2:

So shapeage I believe number four now please yeah, so this one is more recent.

Speaker 1:

This is when to probably come across. It's probably around about 2020, so just before the death of our grandson, which helped me deal with that a lot better. It's something called the three principles. It's, um, like a coaching philosophy, I guess, or a way of seeing things. Um, this by a theosopher called sydney Banks came up with the term. He had a bit of an enlightening experience and it's about the three principles. They're made up of mind, consciousness and thought, and it's about, basically, we're creating the world day to day, our own reality, from our thoughts. So it's a thought generated reality we live in all the time. So we, you know whatever we perceive is real to us at that particular point in time and how did you experience this?

Speaker 2:

was this a book that you picked up or was this a?

Speaker 1:

no, I actually went on a training as a virtual training. I was watching a course about this. It did a really good marketing job and I was like that sounds great. I watched it and I was really disappointed. I thought what a load of crap. I wasted some money there and I don't know what it was. But a few months later I went back to it. I thought there must be something in there. I've got nothing to lose. And I think the first video just hit me kind of like an insight, a realization, because I was a coach as well. I trained as a coach and transitioned into that type of coaching free principles because I think it's so powerful. The idea is we're only ever one-fourth away from happiness, or or misery, to be honest yes you know, however, we want to see the world.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's really, really been powerful for me and the main advocate of that three philosophy approach is who?

Speaker 1:

again, just to it's the sydney banks, bizarrely, is a scottish welder, so not someone you think, uh, as coming up with this kind of thing. But, like I say, he had a bit of an enlightening experience. His life changed.

Speaker 2:

The people around him kind of perceived him as different doing a bit of a Dale Carnegie in that Sidney Banks is doing a Scottish welding version of Dale Carnegie by the sound of it, by leaving us with a really simple but profound philosophy yeah, it's not like a religion or anything, it's just literally a way of understanding the world and ourselves a bit better.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, also, it's a real testament to when our synapses are, when we're receptive or not to something that's trying to teach us something, and the fact you went back to it and reincorporated it and revisited it, and I'm very happy for you that you did yeah, you know, it's been massive impact on my life, so I'm really glad I did fortuitously go back. Great sharing. Thank you so much. So that's the four shapeages. Now we're on to three things that inspire you Mike Gard, AI and automation consultant for SMEs.

Speaker 1:

Okay. So I'm going to sound very conceited. I'm going to say myself I inspire myself, as in myself.

Speaker 2:

I inspire myself. As in may I also say, if no one has ever yet, I love that. Do you know what I'm awesome? I love that. That's brilliant. No one has said that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think that's fantastic just a case of um and again. This could come over the wrong way, but it's not meant in it hasn't, I promise nowadays I kind of love myself.

Speaker 1:

I didn't back a few years ago and I'm the believer that the way you can give the most in life, like love and affection, is you've got to start with yourself and then you've got plenty to give outwards as well. It's just like I say from the teenager I was, when I was a very shy teenager I struggled to join in conversations and the journey I've been on in lots of different ways since then I'm just seeing, and when I say I inspire myself, I think we should all inspire ourselves, because if you look back on your life journey and what you've done and the whole journey you've come, what's made you, what's created you from that time, how you've created yourself in that time. You've come. What's made you, what's created you from that time, how you've created yourself in that time. I think it's quite amazing what we can do when we put minds to our minds to it I love that.

Speaker 2:

That's a beautiful philosophy about a bit of unconditional self-regard, a bit of self-love. Put your own mask on first, and then you can help the world and everything that you're there to help with?

Speaker 1:

yeah, absolutely yeah, and definitely not in a conceited way.

Speaker 2:

No, no it really didn't, I promise you. I laughed very deeply and authentically then. I thought that was great. So thank you for inspiring yourself and us, because it is really valuable what you're saying.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I think another thing that inspires me is nature. Nature has always inspired me. I've always found it beautiful and fascinating. But I guess part of this three principles, philosophy, as well as being in the moment, being present, because usually when we're sad or something like that, it's usually because we're thinking about something that's happened in the past. We're anxious, worried about something it's usually something about the future. That means our minds are in the future. We're not in the moment. We're anxious, worried about something. It's usually something about the future. That means our minds are in the future. We're not in the moment. Again, yes, when we're in the moment, we're often not in in any type of pain or anything.

Speaker 2:

We can just experience what's happening right now and have you heard those pockets of happiness that are right in front of us all the time. They're called glimmers. Little pockets of happiness that are glimmers, front of us all the time. They're called glimmers. Little pockets of happiness that are glimmers if you're truly present.

Speaker 1:

I think it's a beautiful thing being present in the moment. It's just absolutely amazing what's out there, just in front of us, that we walk past all day, every day.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And take for granted.

Speaker 2:

A recent 84-year-old beautiful guest called Christine Marsh described a cataract operation, after which immediately she burst into tears looking at a dandelion, just reminding herself something we take so for granted in nature.

Speaker 1:

It's just nice sometimes to just really get present and when I allude back to my grandkids and things like that, that's about being present with them, being silly with them. So I do all the silly, silly, crazy stuff with the kids and I get lost in the moment there but I love it.

Speaker 2:

absolutely destroys me physically but I love it and I'm congratulations for being so monumentally present for them. I'm sure they love it too, because of the law of reciprocity. That's lovely. Yeah, that's a beautiful thing. Yes, is that three things that inspire you?

Speaker 1:

that was too sorry. I hope, I hope I'm not running this too much, I think, inspire me. One of them's got to be I'm a geek, I'm a nerd. It's got to be technology, things like AI, obviously, things like robotics that are out there now. I mean, they're crazy, some of these things A bit scary really, especially if you team AI up with these things. I don't know if you've seen some of these robots that can run. I have. I don't fancy one of those chasing me down the street with yeah, Robocop is coming.

Speaker 1:

We know that and also things like you know. I mean one of the people I used to look up to a lot was Elon Musk. Not so much now with the political stuff, but I mean the visionary stuff I still really enjoy, and like SpaceX I mean, I think when I first saw his spacecraft or the engines land themselves, it's like watching something from sci-fi, you know.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

And some of these robots as well. Now they're absolutely crazy, but those things really kind of get me excited, if you know.

Speaker 2:

I mean and wonderful that you're on the cutting edge of it and yet you also said oh, it's scary too.

Speaker 1:

So the change is scary, yeah, yeah yeah, I mean yeah, I've seen quite a few people, influential people, gary vineshook, for instance. They're saying like you know, yeah, some of this ai stuff they really wish they could wind back themselves. But hey, we can't, we're in it, let's make the best of it. We've created.

Speaker 2:

It's the frankenstein's monster. We have created a monster, but also it's something that could be incredibly helpful, provided we guide it and counsel it. It It'll counsel us, probably, and then destroy. Anyway, I'm kidding.

Speaker 1:

Well, this is the trouble, Chris. I mean in regards to AI, it's like an arms race between China and America, so there's very little regulation of it Because neither of them wants to get left behind. So you know, it is a little bit scary for sure in that regard, the things we're doing with it right now not so much because you know they can help us and help businesses, apart from, obviously, things like the deep fakes. They can be a bit controversial and worrying because false information can get out there easily.

Speaker 2:

Yes, there's definitely a yin-yang going on. There's a dark web light web, dark web light web application.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yes, I mean, we can bring our little friend into the conversation if you want for a moment.

Speaker 2:

Our little friend. Oh yes, let's bring our little friend in. Sorry, I was about to talk about squirrels. I was thinking of little friends.

Speaker 1:

So, yes, squirrels, I was thinking of little friends. So, yes, that's, squirrels are coming, but let's so, yes, what would you like to do with our little friend? I'd forgotten about that. Thank you, let's just just, let's just ask it on its take on, uh, the future of ai.

Speaker 2:

So just to explain to listeners you're about to go in on to chat gpt and do a bit of taming that's right, okay, so I'm just going to use the mobile phone version.

Speaker 1:

you can get a free version of this. This is the paid version. It's about $20 a month. Just going to click the round circle icon there so I can literally chat to it. You have to tell me if you can hear it. Chris Yep, hey, chat. How are you doing?

Speaker 3:

Hey, mike, I'm doing great Thanks. How about you you all set for your podcast later?

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, I was telling you about I was going to be on the podcast World exclusive.

Speaker 1:

I might be on it right now. So I just want to ask you a question, because we're talking about I'm a bit of a nerd sometimes about technology and we're just wondering where AI is going and there's very light touch regulation on AI and what are the possibilities. I don't know what are the possibilities. I don't know what are the possible dark places it could go or what are the possible implications of it creating amazing things in our lives in the future. What's your take on it?

Speaker 3:

Oh, that's such a cool topic. Ai definitely has so much potential for good, like revolutionizing healthcare, making education more accessible and even helping businesses like yours streamline processes. But on the flip side, there are definitely concerns around ethics, privacy and how we keep AI from being used in harmful ways. It's definitely a balancing act.

Speaker 1:

And can you speak to how it could evolve? Say, we get to AGI and for your listeners that's AI is getting to a general intelligence of humanity, as in exceeding humanity's intelligence. So if you got to an AGI state, what are the risks for humanity?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, agi is kind of the big frontier, isn't it? If we ever reach that level, it could be incredible, because you'd have a machine that can learn and reason like a human, or even beyond that. The risks, though, could be significant. There's the concern that an AGI could act in ways we don't intend or can't control. There's also the ethical side of how we align its goals with human values, so it's definitely exciting, but something we have to approach thoughtfully.

Speaker 1:

There we go. So that's your next guest on the show is it?

Speaker 2:

I would say so, as in. That was incredibly impressive and a bit of a world exclusive for me. That's the first time I've ever experienced that and thank you so much for doing it live on air as well. That was fantastic, and in terms of the sampling of the voice and where that comes from, is that sampled from a human voice or is it totally constructed?

Speaker 1:

as far as I'm aware, they've.

Speaker 2:

They've had actors record these voices originally and I guess they've, you know, extrapolated from that and it was incredibly authentic, even to the point of little bits of redundant speech in there as well, I think it's like was one of the things that I noticed he'd said um, if you asked him what his name was, what would he tell you?

Speaker 1:

Well, can we try that. Let's get the backup. Here we go. So, chris, the podcast host was just asking if we were to ask you what your name is, what would you?

Speaker 3:

say Well, you can just call me Chet Drupity. I'm like your friendly AI assistant, always here to help out and chat about whatever you like.

Speaker 1:

If you had to give yourself a name, a human-sounding name, what?

Speaker 3:

would it be? Oh, that's a fun question. I think I'd go with something like Charlie. It's friendly, easygoing and kind of suits in AI don't you think?

Speaker 2:

I think so. Cgi, chuck, I'd be going for, and can I ask you one question, just as we're live on air, can you just tell us a joke, please?

Speaker 1:

uh, charlie oh, just telling you now, chris, the jokes are pretty appalling I've still got a job.

Speaker 2:

Everyone. This is great. I'm calling you charlie. Uh, charlie, at this point you're my chat gpt chuck, so can you tell me a joke please, as this is a podcast that's run by a motivational comedian? Uh, all right here we go.

Speaker 3:

Why did the scarecrow become a successful comedian?

Speaker 2:

I don't know why he was outstanding in his field.

Speaker 3:

Hopefully that gives chris a run for his money tragically, it did actually floated my boat.

Speaker 2:

Thank you very much. Thank you, charlie, and also thank you, mike, for introducing charlie chat gpt. That was extraordinary. Thank you so much. So yes, please, if you want to comment on what you thought about that, please do, as we're obviously doing this live as well. And now, thank you so much for doing that, mike. Anything else you want to say about that before I move us on?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I would just say I mean in a real-world scenario. We've used it in a contrived way, but I think sometimes I'll riff with chat gbt and you know where my bit about my business and find out ideas and and come up with good strategies going forwards. And the thing is it's all captured in text as well so you can go back and refine it and everything. So I find it really great as a business tool thank you very much.

Speaker 2:

And now we're now moving on to the two in the tree, which is squirrels. This is borrowed from the film up where the dog goes. Oh squirrels, what are your two monsters of distraction, your two shiny object syndrome, as they're also called, what never failed to stop you in your tracks, irrespective of anything else that's going on for you in your wonderful life?

Speaker 1:

okay. Well, this is yeah, I've got it right. I wasn't sure if this was the right take or not, but it is, by the sounds of it, okay, my cat number one your cat is your squirrel yeah, that's one of my squirrels.

Speaker 1:

It's uh, yeah, it's just got a certain cry that uh, and we had two cats one passed away earlier in the year recently and uh, same for that cat as well. I don't know, I just I'm like their little butler. So we're having tea at night and, uh, the patio doors behind me, even though we've got a cat flap, the cat won't go through that. Well, it can, but it determines not to let it scratch on the patio door, I'll open it, it out. If it decides to go out, same for it coming in. And if we're having our tea while my wife drives her crazy, I do that.

Speaker 2:

And you were referring it to it affectionately there. So has Tiddles got a name. So big shout out for Tiddles. What's your cat's name?

Speaker 1:

Daisy.

Speaker 2:

Daisy. So Daisy is the queen of your domain. We get that because she's always got Mike playing around on the cat flap. I mean, why open the cat flap if Mike's going to open it for you? Really, exactly, I'm on Daisy's side, lovely. Next squirrel.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I'd say my phone it's. Yeah, it's too easy to get scrolling on there. I'm on social media channels like LinkedIn, facebook, tiktok as, tiktok as in. I produce content for them and but the trouble is when I'm looking to see if there's anything interesting or someone's commented, I get dragged in and start scrolling mindlessly and they're a major distraction for me and I look at it far too much.

Speaker 2:

I need to do a little bit of a detox, I think to some degree again, that's so relatable my phone is called my eyb by my wife, particularly my evil yellow box, and so we all need a detox, and I hear you, we all hear you, but we all need to do it more yeah, yeah but great to name it as your squirrel. I think it'd be a squirrel I'd name for myself as well. So again, that's very relatable yeah, but it is.

Speaker 1:

It is a distraction I'm constantly reaching for, I think, also if I'm working. You know there's those tasks you kind of procrastinate on.

Speaker 2:

We all know what the solution is. Daisy needs to go out the cat flap for a change with your phone. Job done, yeah, absolutely. And now it's the one quirkier. The one is the quirkier unusual fact about you, Mike Gard, that we couldn't possibly know about you until you tell us.

Speaker 1:

Is the quirky or unusual fact about you, mike, that we couldn't possibly know about you until you tell us? Okay, well, this is unusual rather than quirky. So in I think this was 2011,. It was a holiday in Turkey and had a lovely Turkish meal around a restaurant at the hotel resort we were in. I woke up next morning and my face was tingling. Long story short, I'd been really badly sick that night as well, almost like my stomach felt like it wanted to burst. I'd never felt anything like it. My face was kind of tingling. It was really weird.

Speaker 1:

There was a lot of rot on top of my lips and things. I think I did try consulting a doctor there, but the language barrier wasn't great. Basically, the upshot of it is I've got some nerve damage down the left side of my face now, so I can't feel anything on the left side of my face at all. It's kind of like if food goes in that side of my mouth, I can't literally feel it. It might pop out an hour later the other side. I think, oh, where'd that come from? The most annoying thing about it is I'll get an itch at the top of my forehead or something, and although I can feel the itch. No matter how much I kind of try and scratch it, I can't feel the relief from the scratch.

Speaker 2:

Gosh, and there's no other external evidence of that as in.

Speaker 1:

That sounds almost like a sort of stroke impact. Yeah, it's literally just nerve damage.

Speaker 2:

Caused by the. Was the food connected? Was it a food poisoning? I don't think so.

Speaker 1:

I'm thinking because that was the only precursor to it.

Speaker 2:

And you've made peace with it, and it's not nothing you can do anything more about by the sound of it.

Speaker 1:

It's just part of life, it's fine, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I suppose the grandkids can sort of twang you more on that side and you won't feel the pain. Yeah, they could do. We have shaken your tree, my god, wonderful. Now we're staying in the clearing which is snowdonia, and now we're going to move into talking about alchemy and gold. When you're at purpose and in flow, what are you absolutely happiest doing in what you're here to reveal to the world?

Speaker 1:

I mean I really want to make things like ai accessible. I want to do it in a way that I want to bring those coaching skills I had as well before, make it, make it definitely human, relatable rather. I mean I've been a software engineer for about 30 years, software consultant, so I've got the tech background, but I don't want to be techie because overly techie, because businesses don't relate to that. That's you know, that's not how you help them. I overly techie because businesses don't relate to that. That's you know, that's not how you help them. I want to, you know, come at it from the human perspective and let them see that, uh, take that fear out of it if you like. Yes, I've been to so many companies and leadership teams where people have been fearful and everything. But I like to do a very hands-on approach where people experiment. I make it relatable and fun for them so they can see the benefits you know to their business right away.

Speaker 2:

And that's exactly why I first got in touch with you, because you just seem to me like you're the cut of your jib is. You're humanizing it all, and I think that's a really powerful thing to be doing. You do it through a Facebook group as well, don't you?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I have a Facebook group that's called the AI Advantage, and that's yeah, that's called the AI Advantage, and that's yeah, that's a useful group. I post a little bit in there time to time about little tidbits from my trainings and AI in general, things that are topical at the time, and to all my other channels as well.

Speaker 2:

Wonderful and in terms of your dream target market audience like me, and thank you. We've agreed. We're going to do a reciprocal thing whereby you're in the show and then you're going to help me with a few things as well, and that's wonderful, thank you. But who? Who, would you say, is your sort of ideal, sometimes called a client avatar, but who is? Who's your favorite type of client?

Speaker 1:

yeah, I think leadership teams, where you see a few people and they've all got different throw at different levels, some people are saying I can't see how this is going to benefit us at all. And then within an hour or two, they're like oh wow, I get it now. Yes, that's.

Speaker 2:

That's just a really uh great feeling when you see that and I loved how you describe it's how to harness ai without the overwhelm is a really good strap line yeah, for sure, because I think yeah, too many people get lost in the fear of it all.

Speaker 1:

I think there's just no way you can keep up with everything yes I mean, my advice to anyone is, if you go dabbling in ai, just stick to most, at most three different things and and get to know them well, um, before moving on to anything else and just one other thing in researching you, how to embrace everything you're talking about without the jargon, the hype or the headaches, which I think was a really nice way to.

Speaker 2:

You're a poet and you didn't know it, which is great ai might have helped me a little bit therein lies the truth, absolutely. So now we're gonna find I'm gonna award you with a cake, mike. So uh, do you like a cake?

Speaker 1:

yeah, I'm not that keen on those types of cakes. Cheesecake, Okay.

Speaker 2:

I was going to ask you what's the cake of choice Cheesecake. I have recently started a relationship, a sort of professional relationship, with somebody called Anna's Cakes Guess what she makes and so in time, as this evolves and grows, you'll end up actually getting an actual cake up, actually getting an actual cake. But this is a metaphorical cake, so carrot cake. I like the cut of your jib, that's my this. Almost this is a dog toy carrot cake. So thank you very much. You get to put a cherry on the cake now with stuff like what's your favorite inspirational quote? That's always given you sucker and pulled you towards your future okay, so this is by sydney banks.

Speaker 1:

You know the founder of the three principles welder from scotland yeah, I just love this. So, uh, your thoughts are like the artist's brush. They create a personal picture of the reality you live in and to me that just speaks to.

Speaker 2:

If you are the artist, we can change the picture and just say it one more time, just to deliberately reincorporate it.

Speaker 1:

Yep. So your thoughts are like the artist's brush they create a personal picture of the reality you live in.

Speaker 2:

Lovely quote. With the gift of hindsight, what notes, help or advice might you proffer to a younger version of Mike Gard?

Speaker 1:

You talked about your conditioning through your parents and everything else, but anything. You'd pick an age and tell me what you'd tell yourself. I think it'd be those awkward teenage years, I'd just say, because at that time socially I was awkward. So I'd say you know, keep pushing out of that comfort zone, because that's where the good stuff is, that's where it lives, and try to be again as present as possible, because then again, I think whenever we get caught up in thought as an unhelpful thought, that's when we get lost and we're not present and we don't get the most out of life. It's only when we're kind of totally present to things we get the most value out of them and I loved.

Speaker 2:

Can I just congratulate you for the turn of phrase, because that's where the good stuff lives yeah, no, I totally agree with that, yeah, yeah lovely, we're going to ramp up. What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given by somebody else?

Speaker 1:

okay, this is also a quote, but this, this is what helped me make the leap into my business. This is from a guy called william h murray. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always in effectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans. But the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred, and I think that was my coach at the time telling me put a date on what you want to move into this full time. Have you put a date on it yet? No, I haven't. So I think he brought out that quote. Have you put a date on it yet? No, I haven't. So I think he brought out that quote and I put a date on it, and I think April this year was the time I was meant to be going to business full-time, but it happened in October last year because things happened when I really committed to it.

Speaker 2:

That was just gorgeous as a quote and inspired by shakespeare. All the worlds are staged at all the bedded women merely players when all is said and done. We're going to talk about legacy now. How, when all is said and done, mike guard ai and automation consultant for smes, how would you most like to be remembered?

Speaker 1:

yeah, and I I'm gonna give chatupji a little bit of credit here I did come up with the idea, but it's helped me reform it into a better way of saying it. So to be a guiding light for my grandchildren, to help them achieve their dreams and leaving them knowing that life is how you paint it.

Speaker 2:

That legacy is secure. My God, that was lovely, and now Joe, our beautiful technician next door, is going to help us with. Show us your QR code, please. So, first of all, where can we find out all about on the old interweb MG Performance Coaching? First of all, just tell us the URL for that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's literally what you said. So wwwmgperformancecoachingcom.

Speaker 2:

And this isn't fixing your classic car MG. This is fixing your AI automation MG.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, MG for Mike Gard.

Speaker 2:

I see what you did there. I did figure that out. That was lovely. And now, if you want to connect with Mike Gard on LinkedIn, here it comes. Shows you QR code, please. That's now connecting with Mike Gard. You could well be watching it here on LinkedIn as well, which is where most of your target market are hanging out, I believe. Lovely. Just a couple of announcements from me. If you'd like to connect with me, chris Grimes, on LinkedIn, you can do that too.

Speaker 2:

And very, very excitingly, just to make a serious point, there is a new series strand that's been there all along in the mountainscape of the Good Listening To show. It's called LegacyLifeReflectionscom and it's a series strand to help you to record either your story or the story of somebody near, dear or too close to you for posterity, without any morbid intention, but lest we forget before it's too late my own father, colin grimes. I recorded him in the halcyon days of his 80s, about five years ago. Now that I still have that film of him he died last august. I can't tell you how precious it is, because what we miss the most when we've lost that precious, special someone is what they sounded like, the sound of their voice. So this is a way of using this storytelling construct to, as I say, capture that story for somebody precious.

Speaker 2:

So the websites for the show are thegoodlisting2showcom if you'd like a conversation about guesting too. This has been a founder story with mike guard. Now back to you, mike guard. Um, as this has been your moment in the sunshine, in the good, listening to show stories of distinction and genius for your special founder story, is there anything else you'd like to say?

Speaker 1:

I think uh pretty much covered everything there, chris. That got me thinking all these nice questions. You know, thinking about things, it's always good to take stock, so it's given me lots of food for thought.

Speaker 2:

And thank you for being quite the philosopher and thank you for resharing Sydney Banks as an extraordinary font of wisdom. Anyway, thank you very much indeed also to Joe, our lovely technician next door. I've been Chris Grimes, but most importantly, this has been Mike Gard from MG Performance Coaching. Anything else you'd like to say, Mike?

Speaker 1:

I'd just like to say thank you very much, Chris, for having me on. It's been a pleasure.

Speaker 2:

Drop the squirrel. Good night. You've been listening to the Good Listening To Show with me, chris Grimes. If you'd like to be in the show too, or indeed gift an episode to capture the story of someone else, with me as your host, then you can find out how care of the series strands at the goodlistening2showcom website, and one of these series strands is called Brand Strand Founder Stories for business owners like you to be able to tell your company story, talk about your purpose and amplify your brand. Together we get into the who, the what, the how, the why you do what you do and then, crucially, we find out exactly where we can come and find you, to work with you and to book your services. Tune in next week for more stories from the Clearing and don't forget to subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts.